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Worcs Batsman Clarke Flies Out To Uae With England LionsWednesday, November 16th, 2016

Joe Clarke flies out to the UAE with England Lions today – hoping for the chance to score "big runs" this winter.

After training camps at Sandhurst and Loughborough, the Worcestershire wicketkeeper-batsman is spending almost a month in Dubai with The Lions.

They will do battle with UAE in three one-dayers on December 1, 3 and 5 before taking on Afghanistan in a first class match from December 8 to 10 ahead of flying home two days later.

Then a squad will be selected before Christmas for the February-March tour of Sri Lanka.

Clarke featured against Pakistan A in the UAE last winter and then against the same opponents and Sri Lanka A during the 2016 domestic season.

He said: "At the start of last season, my goals were to play for The Lions during the summer and to get 1,000 runs and to get picked for another tour this winter so I've ticked all three of those boxes.

"When you get to that sort of standard (with the Lions), you've got to keep knocking on the door.

"In my first winter (against Pakistan A), I batted at number six – which is quite low for me – and obviously you come in with less chance of getting a big score.

"But this year (against Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A) I batted four in the one game, and got 30 odd, and probably should have got 60-70 not out but I gave that way.

"I came in quite late in the next game because we did quite well and then missed out on the last two (through injury).

"Hopefully I'll be up there with the chance to score big runs this winter and I need to take that."